Asymptotic twistor theory and the Kerr theorem

We first review asymptotic twistor theory with its real subspace of null asymptotic twistors: a five-dimensional CR manifold. This is followed by a description of the Kerr theorem (the identification of shear-free null congruences, in Minkowski space, with the zeros of holomorphic functions of three variables) and an asymptotic version of the Kerr theorem that produces regular asymptotically shear-free null geodesic congruences in arbitrary asymptotically flat Einstein or Einstein-Maxwell spacetimes. A surprising aspect of this work is the role played by analytic curves in H-space, each curve generating an asymptotically flat null geodesic congruence. Also there is a discussion of the physical space realizations of the two associated five- and three-dimensional CR manifolds.